Wildcats take The FORUM 3rd in NBL Commerce File Our readers write tournament ..............Page 3 ...................................Page 4 .............Page 6 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Rain High 53, Low 42 7 58551 69301 0 WEDNESDAY Feb. 20, 2008 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 149 Number 317 email: [email protected] Search near Willits continues for Sonoma County man MacLeod Pappidas/The By BEN BROWN friend Errin Petty, also of Santa Rosa, On Monday, search and rescue Daily Journal The Daily Journal Sunday evening. volunteers returned to Irmulco Road Bob Marsh, a The search for a Santa Rosa man Search and Rescue Commander to look for Montoya with the help of member of the who went missing while riding his Kevin Cotroneo said Petty and a helicopter from CalFire, but were Mendocino motorcycle on the logging roads west Montoya rode their motorcycles out unable to locate him before dark. County Search of Willits with a friend Sunday after- Irmulco Road on Sunday. As night Heavy fog and light rain hampered and Rescue noon entered its second day, Tuesday. approached and the two were running visibility in the hills west of Willits team, stands Volunteers from the Mendocino out of gas and turned back toward the Tuesday and kept CalFire’s heli- beside Highway County Search and Rescue team, main road. copter out of the sky. Without air 20 overlooking a with the help of Lake County Search Neither motorcycle had a head- support, the search continued by ridge where a and Rescue, searched the area north lamp. ground. motorcyclist has of Highway 20 near Irmulco Road At some point, Petty and Montoya “It’s mostly a road search,” been missing Tuesday where Nicholas Montoya, got separated, Petty made it back to Cotroneo said. since Sunday 29, of Santa Rosa, apparently got lost Highway 20 and reported Montoya evening. while riding his motorcycle with his missing to the police. See SEARCH, Page 15 Chesbro Tanker running to replace crash Berg widow By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal Former State Senator loses Wesley Chesbro paid his fil- ing fees at the Humboldt County appeal Elections Office By STEVE GEISSINGER Friday and MediaNews took out Sacramento Bureau papers for The U.S. Supreme Court the on Tuesday let stand an appel- Democratic late decision that allows the Party nomi- federal government to deny nation in its death benefits to the fami- the race for lies of firefighting pilots who Chesbro the 1st die while fighting wildfires Assembly under government contracts. District. The appellate court ruled Chesbro, who represented such families are not entitled the North Coast in the State to the benefits because the Senate for eight years, seeks aviators, while they are flying to succeed State former military planes on Assemblywoman Patty Berg government-ordered mis- who is no longer able to serve MacLeod Pappidas/The Daily Journal sions, work for private com- in the State Assembly due to panies under contract with term limits. Since the defeat Ukiah High School student Andrew Weber was among those participating in a vigil at the Ukiah cour- thouse Tuesday evening to bring public attention to the recent slaying of a gay student in Oxnard. states and U.S. agencies, and are therefore not government See CHESBRO, Page 15 employees. Christine Wells-Groff of Mill Creek Local vigil protests hate crime Santa Rosa sued the U.S. By BEN BROWN GSA, Parents and Friends of Lesbians “tragic death” would galvanize Department of Justice, after her husband died in a colli- meet put off The Daily Journal and Gays and the community gathered schools to work to put an end to bully- “This boy’s murder was a hate in memory of King, and of others who ing, name calling and violence. sion of two air tankers while By ROB BURGESS crime,” read a sign held by Ukiah have been hurt and killed in America’s The suspect in King’s shooting, a flying for California over a Hopland area blaze in 2001. The Daily Journal High School Gay Straight Alliance high schools. 14-year-old classmate who has not Advisor Katherine Engerli at Tuesday “It doesn’t give them the right to been identified, has been arrested and An initial court ruled that the If you didn’t have time to government’s use of contrac- get through the 19 chapters, evening’s Ukiah Courthouse vigil. kill him, just because he was gay,” charged with a hate crime. Prosecutors The boy, whose face was on the said UHS student Andrew Weber. “It in Oxnard want the boy tried as an tors to save money was a five appendixes and 10 fig- technicality and awarded her ures contained in the Mill sign, was 15-year-old Lawrence King, really upset me.” adult. who was shot in the head by a 14- The vigil was largely silent, atten- Similar vigils were held in Willits, $250,000 in benefits. The Creek Project environmental Justice Department appealed impact report, you now have a year-old classmate at E.O. Green dees held up signs with legends such San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Junior High in Oxnard on Feb. 12 and as “stop the hate” and “honor kids and Los Angeles/West Hollywood. and won. seven-day extension. Wells-Groff said Tuesday That’s because Tuesday’s died a week later. who are different.” Vigils are also expected in San Diego King sometimes wore makeup, “Gay Straight Alliances all over and Santa Barbara. she went to court because it scheduled meeting of the was impossible to obtain life Mendocino County Board of high heels, and other feminine attire to California are doing this, many of Ben Brown can be reached at school, according to classmates. them tonight,” Engerli said. insurance from a private Supervisors, sitting as the [email protected]. The Associated Press insurer or adequate employer Mendocino County Water On Tuesday night, members of the Engerli said she hoped King’s contributed to this report. Agency, was canceled less than two hours before its See WIDOW, Page 15 planned start. The board had been sched- uled to consider whether or not it would accept the final Energy saver likely to be added to Ukiah list draft of the final EIR of the device reduces the amount of project. Local businesses time the evaporator fans spin Kristi Furman, clerk of the with refrigeration CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT: 6 P.M., CITY HALL while the rest of the refrigera- board, said the directive to tor is idling, thus saving ener- cancel the session came from could benefit contractor, Efficiency mix of renewables is way City Council will consider gy and money. the County Counsel’s office, By ZACK SAMPSEL Services Group. The program above average in terms of adding a product known as According to Crane, which told her that the county The Daily Journal is one of the ways the city energy-source portfolios. Frigitek to its roster of green Frigitek would be yet another would be best served if the A local beer distributor is works to meet the require- We’re going to have less tools. Brought to the city’s weapon in the city’s arsenal decision was an action by the installing some energy saving ments of AB2021 and AB32, trouble than a lot of other attention by Eagle of energy-saving programs Board of Supervisors, not the refrigeration equipment and state laws which dictate communities meeting the Distributing of Santa Rosa and projects. It comes with a water agency. the city will likely help pay statewide efficiency and standards, but we’re still and Ukiah, Frigitek helps $4,571 price tag, but ESG is The full EIR can be viewed for it and offer to share the greenhouse gas reduction obligated to diminish our reduce energy use by acting recommending the city add at the water agency’s Web site cost for other businesses to requirements, respectively. footprint.” as an evaporation fan control Frigitek to its Energy at www.mendocountywa.com use it too. “We’re all obligated to From time to time the for walk-in refrigerators and Efficiency Incentive Program by clicking on the The City of Ukiah’s elec- work toward these massive city’s efficiency program is freezers. According to Eagle at a rate of $0.08 per kilowatt “Downloads” link. tric department operates an reductions in energy use,” revised to add new services and Energy Control hour with a cap at 50 percent Rob Burgess can be energy efficiency incentive said Mayor Doug Crane. and equipment that qualify Equipment, Inc., the manu- “Ukiah is fortunate in that it’s for the incentives. Tonight the facturer of Frigitek, the reached at [email protected]. program with help from a See CITY, Page 15 FEBRUARY 23rd & 24th 39th Annual Mardi Gras Reserve Your Dinner Table Now! 2008 Contact Cynthia Tucci 485-1344 February 23rd and 24th or St. Mary’s School 462-3888 2 – WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: K.C. Meadows, 468-3526 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] The world briefly FUNERAL NOTICES [\ Locatelli, daughter nieces and nephews. tors for a lot of the CHARLES JAMES LOCATELLI Mercedes Warner and son- They moved from local ranches. A self taught Cubans hope polling places. Obama has run Long time Redwood in-law Bob Warn- Calpella to their Colony mechanic, he could fix well among independents in Valley rancher, Charles er, son Steve Locatelli and Drive ranch 51 years ago almost anything. Raul Castro will earlier primaries. Locatelli passed away daughter-in-law where he planted A celebration of Charles adopt reforms February 15, 2008 at Marcia Locatelli, and half his vineyard from cuttings.